VW initiatives the Think Blue. Factory initiative

Volkswagen India Private Limited announced the achievements of the “Think Blue. Factory.” initiatives at its Pune Plant in Chakan which aims at environmental sustainability - a global target set by Volkswagen. The project, which was globally announced in 2011 and implemented in Pune Plant from 2012, focuses on reducing the environmental impact of all Volkswagen plants across the world by 25% by 2018 based on 2010 values. This applies especially to energy consumption, water consumption, waste generation, air-borne emissions including carbon dioxide emissions.

Mr. Mahesh Kodumudi, President & Managing Director, Volkswagen India Private Limited, said, “The strategic goal for the Volkswagen Group is the economic and environmental leadership in the global automotive industry by 2018. The ‘Think Blue. Factory.’ initiatives are a key to achieving the goals. With the ‘Think Blue. Factory.’ initiatives we aim to reduce the impact on the environment by 25% by 2018.”

Successful achievements in 2012

Volkswagen undertook several actions at its Pune Plant from 2012 as a part of “Think Blue. Factory.” initiatives. Through these actions, Volkswagen Pune Plant achieved a reduction of 6.4% in specific CO₂ emissions and 5.5% in specific energy consumption in 2012 as compared to 2011. The prime initiatives leading to this reduction included optimizing on/off timings of equipments, replacing high energy consumption lights with low energy consumption lights and reduction of electric lights by utilizing natural lighting in various areas of the plant. The biggest achievement for Volkswagen India is the specific energy consumption at its Pune Plant that has now been reduced to 1.016 MWh/car which happens to be the best amongst the Volkswagen plants worldwide. The energy saving achievements were also recognized with a global Volkswagen Energy Award in 2012. 

Mr. Andreas Lauenroth, Executive Director Technical, Volkswagen India Private Limited, commented, “With the ‘Think Blue. Factory.’ initiatives, we want to set benchmarks in sustainable automotive production in India. ‘Think Blue. Factory.’ is a holistic approach which motivates our employees to implement the ‘Think Blue. Factory.’ ideas not only in the plant but also in their personal lifestyle.”

Biogas Plant Inauguration

One of the next steps towards achieving the targets of the “Think Blue. Factory.” initiatives is the inauguration of a Biogas Plant in the premises of the Volkswagen Pune Plant. Monthly biological waste of approximately 10 tons will be fed to the highly automated and modern Biogas Plant which will recycle the waste to produce cooking gas. This ecologically produced gas will be supplied back to the Central Kitchen for cooking processes.

Mr. Wolfgang Holmann, Director of Planning and Manufacturing Engineering, Volkswagen India Private Limited, commented on the occasion of inauguration of the Biogas Plant, “We have found a smart solution to disposing off the biological waste in an ecological way and have created a sustainable micro-cycle. We will be able to achieve a reduction of over 100 tons of waste per year with the Biogas Plant and an annual reduction of CO₂ emission by 18 tons.”

2013: The year of water saving at Volkswagen Pune Plant    

The focus for 2013 would be on reducing the consumption of fresh water at the Volkswagen Pune Plant by over 10%. Scarcity of water is a major problem and the conservation of fresh water is the need of the hour. The main initiative to achieve this target is by recycling industrial waste water and to reuse it in production processes. Another effective measure for reducing consumption of fresh water is by providing special faucets to water taps that reduce the flow of water by 75%. “We expect a reduction of over 19,800 m³/year of consumption of water through this measure when all the washrooms and wash basin taps in the plant would be fitted with these faucets. To give a perspective, this would equal the water consumption of approximately 100 households for a year”, Mr. Lauenroth added.

Reduction in consumption of energy and emission of CO₂ will also continue to be in focus. Volkswagen Pune Plant is further reducing energy consumption and working on projects for using energy from renewable sources like hydro power through open access in the near future.

An ever-growing project deeply connected with all the employees

“Think Blue. Factory.” is a holistic project with a long-term commitment that includes the involvement of one and all. With this project, Volkswagen India is adopting ecological processes and also appealing to its employees to work towards sustainable and environmental friendly behavior not only at work but also in the individual lifestyles.